Animal-poke.



N0. 696,850. Ptented Apr. l, |902. A. AXELTUN.

l ANIMAL PKE. lApplication led Jan, 27, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Nrr @trarne artnr rrrcnm ANDREW nxnLToN, on ennnfrfrinenn, iowA.

ANHWALDPOME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,850, dated April 1, 1902. Application filed January 27, 1902. Serial No. 91,387. (No model To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW AxnLToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Graettinger, in the county of Palo Alto and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal-Folies; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to ani mal-pokes.

The object of the invention is to provide an animal-poke which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparatively inexpensive of production, and which is particularly designed to be worn by horses and cattle to prevent them from escaping from an inclosure by Working their way between the longitudinal fence-wires or by jumping over the fences.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, dened in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a View showing the poke applied. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the nosepiece of the head-harness or halt-er and the plates between which the lower end of the poke-bar is secured. Fig. 3 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. L is a vertical sectional view through the browpiece of the halter or head-harness, the two plates secured thereto, the pricking-point, the spring, the spring-casing, and the pokebar. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the halter, showing it applied.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,`1 denotes a head-harness, which in the present instance is shown in the forni of an ordinary halter. To the nosepiece of the halter is riveted or otherwise secured a plate 2. To this plate is removably secured by screws or equivalent fastening means a plate 3, having a socket 4, vertically disposed and provided on the inner side of its front wall with a point or stud 5, formed, preferably, by bending the outer face of the front wall of the socket.

6 denotes the poke-bar, the lower end of which is seated in the said socket and is provided with a recess 7, engaged by the stud to prevent upward movement of the poke-bar. This bar is provided at its upper end with a forwardly-projecting hook S and has a limited back-and-forth movement, which is accomplished by allowing a slight play of the lower end of the bar in the socket.

9 denotes a plate riveted or otherwise secured to the brow-piece of the head-harness or halter, and l() denotes a similar plate removably secured to the plate 9 by screws or similar fastening means and provided with a fixed spring-casing Il, having a longitudinal slot l2. The plates 9 and lO have registering perforations 13, which aline with the springcasing.

Located within the sprin g-casin g is a pricking-point le, which extends through the perforations of the spring-plates 9 and l0 and through the brow-piece of the head-harness or halter. The outer end of this prickingpoint is provided with ahead, and coiled upon the pricking-point and confined between'the head thereof and the plate lO is a coil-spring l5, which exerts its energy to force the pricking-point forwardly.

The poke-bar extends through the vertical slot in the spring-casing and is normally held by the spring against the forward wall of the slot.

In operation should an animal provided with this poke attempt to pass through a fence between the longitudinal wires thereof the poke-bar, coming in contact with the upper wire of the two between which the animal 'attempts to pass, will be forced rearwardly against the action of the spring within the casing and the pricking-point forced into the brow of the animal, thus checking its progress. As soon as the animal steps back the spring will exert its energy and will force the poke-bar forwardly or outwardly and the pricking-point from engagement with the animals brow.

Some animals are in the habit of jumping fences, and in that event the poke-bar, with its pricking-point, would have no effect to prevent the escape of the animal from the inclosure. In order to prevent the animal jumping the fence, I provide a series of jointed plates I6, the rivets of which are disposed vertically to permit of a lateral or sidewise IOO movement of the plates independently, but to prevent the movement of them vertically. The forward one of these plates is secured to the crown-piece of the halter or head-harness in any suitable manner and the rear one is held in place by a neckband 17 in close proximity to the shoulder of the animal and is provided with a horizontal row of pricking-points or saw-teeth 1S. All of the plates are preferably transversely curved, so as to conform to the curvature of the neck of the animal, and by being pivoted in the manner above described will permit of a free swinging movement of the neck. It is a well-known fact that an animal in the act of jumping4 upwardly immediately before the leap is taken raises its head. This movement of the head will canse the rearmost pointed or toothed plate to prick the shoulder of the animal, and thus stop it from making the leap.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of my improved poke will be readily apparent without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a halter or headharness; of asocket-plate secured to the lower inwardly-projecting stud, whereby said bar is prevented from vertical displacement but is permitted a forward and rearward movement, a spring-casing having a longitudinal slot through which the upper end of the pokebar projects, a pricking-point located in said casing and provided with a head at its outer end which is located within the path of movement of the poke-bar, and a spring arranged within said casing for forcing the prickingpoint outwardly, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a head-harness or halter; of jointed plates attached theretoand adapted to be arranged upon the upper surface of the neck of the animal, and the rear one of which to lie in close proximity to the shoulder of the animal, said plates being connected together by vertically-disposed rivets and the rearmost plate being provided with pricking teeth or points, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a head-harness or halter; of jointed plates attached thereto and adapted to be arranged upon the upper sury face of the neck of the animal, and the rear one of which to lie in close proximity to the shoulder of the animal, said plates bein g connected together by vertically-disposed rivets and the rearmost plate being provided with pricking teeth or points, and a neckband connected to the rearmost plate and adapted to pass around the neck of the animal, substantially in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREV AXELTON.

IVitnesses:

'CHRIS JENsEN,

WM. MUELLER. 

